TRANSCRIPT
- Quad alliance leaders announce new security initiatives.
- Leader of Yemen's Houthi rebels accuses Israel of escalation in Lebanon.
- And in rugby league, Manly's dream of a deep finals run has come to an end.
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The leaders of Australia, India, Japan and the United States have announced plans for new security initiatives in the Indian Ocean.
US President Joe Biden welcomed Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida a meeting of Quad alliance leaders near his hometown of Wilmington.
The US has pledged to share new maritime technologies to regional partners. There will also be increased military logistics cooperation; and co-operation between coastguards for the first time.
Joe Biden says he is proud of what the Quad has achieved during his time as US President.
"We are democracies. We are democracies that know how to get things done. That's why in the first days of my presidency I reached out to each of you, each of your nations to propose that we elevate the Quad, making it more consequential. Four years later, our four countries are more strategically aligned than ever before."
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Australia has pledged $29.6 million to ensure greater access to cervical cancer screening, vaccination and treatment in the Indo-Pacific.
The Minderoo Foundation has contributed $13.1 million to the initiative with the Australian government contributing a further $16.5 million.
Mr Albanese says Australia is set to be the first country in the world to eliminate cervical cancer due to advancements such as the Australian-developed HPV vaccine.
He told the Quad Summit that we must do more to help our Pacific neighbours.
"One in four global cervical cancer cases occur in the Indo-Pacific, and tragically women in the Pacific die of the disease at up to 13 times the rate of women in Australia. These people are not numbers, they are our neighbours, members of our Pacific family, and we are stepping forward to help."
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The leader of the Houthi group in Yemen has accused Israel of escalating tensions in the Middle East, following an air strike on a building in Beirut which killed 38 people including two Hezbollah commanders as well as women and children.
The militant group controls the capital Sanaa and much of the north and centre of Yemen, after the 2014 civil war pushed the internationally recognised government into exile.
In a televised speech, Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi called it an "escalation" and a "criminal and brutal aggression."
He also spoke out in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza.
“The Israeli enemy’s targeting of Hezbollah at this level and its targeting of the Lebanese people is part of its aggression against this nation and its pursuit of genocide and the resolution of the battle. What it seeks is to win the battle in its favour in the Gaza Strip...As for our position on the support front in Yemen, it is a steadfast and firm position. We also strive, for even greater efforts in supporting the Palestinian people; and standing with our brothers from the sons of our nation, with Hezbollah in Lebanon."
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Australia's first women's refuge has been awarded New South Wales State Heritage Register honours for its central role in combating domestic violence.
Elsie Refuge in Glebe in Sydney's inner west was founded in 1974 as a safe haven for women and children.
Using squatter's rights to claim abandoned houses, a group of activists including journalists Anne Summers and Bessie Guthrie created the refuge, which soon became known for its strong links to women's activism.
Dr Summers says she is thrilled by the honour.
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In NRL, Manly's dream of a deep finals run had come to an end.
The Sydney Roosters thoroughly outplayed Manly in Saturday night's semi-final, parlaying a physical start and some James Tedesco brilliance into a 40-16 win.
It marked a disappointing end to 2024 for Manly, who had beaten six of the other seven finalists throughout the regular season but were unable to truly deliver on their potential as a finals threat.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson says the attention of the team has already turned to next week.
“We need to take a breath and then we need to get ready to go up a gear again. That's in our game already, so it is not about planning that - it is about creating a platform that is going to offer those opportunities. We get the opportunity - after a few years to be a in a prelim, to play in a grand final. That is enough reward for us. Yeah, looking forward to it."
